Brendan's Getting Ready for .... The Big Shave

If seventh-grader Brendan Miller is going to volunteer to have his blond locks shorn for a very good cause, he figures he might as well do it in style. That was his thinking last spring as well, when he went wild with hair color before submitting to having his head shaved as part of a Walnut Creek police fundraiser to support childhood cancer research.

Once again, Brendan will join some boys—err, men in blue, and some women in blue, too—to have their heads shaved to support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization that hosts head-shaving parties to raise money and show solidarity for kids diagnosed with cancer. 

Brendan, 13, a student at Walnut Creek Intermediate, will be at the WCPD-sponsored head-shaving party Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Shadelands Art Center. 

"Brendan's special 'Leopard Look' was done by Robert Lara at Raymond Marc Salon last Thursday," said Brendan's grandmother Paula Miller. "He has certainly been receiving a lot of stares and questions this year about why he has had his hair colored like this, so hopefully it will bring in a few more donations for St. Baldrick's. He is a real trooper and is looking forward to the Tuesday evening shave!"

Beneficiaries of the St. Baldrick's event , the daughter of Walnut Creek police Sgt. Tom Cashion. The 5-year-old was found to have a malignant tumor growing near her stomach last summer. 

Last year, the department raised $32,000 at its fundraiser, at which 61 people had their heads shaved.

Many of the those hair-sacrificing individuals were from the Walnut Creek Police Department, including Chief Joel Bryden and dispatchers Alisha White and Carrie Moore. Concord police officers also participated, as did Walnut Creek city staff and residents. 

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year," Walnut Creek police Sgt. Lanny Edwards explained as he was organizing last year's fundraiser. "Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada. We're out to help change that."

St. Baldrick's has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with its unique head-shaving events. 

 Twenty-five brave local souls have signed up for a cut, including police officers from Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill and Kensington. Contra Costa sheriff's deputies also will be light headed. 

If you're not inclined to part with your hair —or you're already bald and have nothing to give —you can make a donation by visiting the St. Baldrick's website.

This year's fundraiser will be Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek.